The fly-on of the remaining aircraft from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 265 marks the final stage of the onload of the 31st MEU by Essex.

"It is great to have all the elements of the 31st MEU on board, including the ACE," said Capt. David Fluker, Essex commanding officer. "The ACE brings capabilities that are essential to performing a wide variety of missions, including support for full spectrum combat operations as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. I look forward to working with them as we conduct our patrol in this region."

Essex, together with amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) and amphibious transport dock USS Denver (LPD 9), will work with the MEU to conduct an amphibious certification exercise off the coast of Okinawa.

"This is the second fly-on for the ACE that I have been involved in," said Capt. Gary Windt, an AV-8B Harrier pilot with the legendary "Black Sheep" of Marine Attack Squadron 211. "The air department on board Essex allowed us to do our jobs. Whether it's refueling, moving aircraft on the flight deck or helping us move aircraft into the hangar bay, we are always working together to make sure everything is done right."

As the U.S. Navy's only permanently forward deployed amphibious assault ship, Essex regularly works with the 31st MEU to conduct exercises and operations in the Western Pacific region. The ACE fly on allowed Sailors in Essex' air department, like Aviation Boatswain's Mate Airman Michael Williams, to use their skills outside of a training environment.

"My job is very critical because I take down the fuel state, which is how the amount of fuel being used is measured, and how many souls are on board the aircraft in the air," said Williams. "We have been working with the MEU every day, especially the Marine pilots. My job is a lot busier when the MEU is on board, because we are constantly taking stats and looking in the air to keep track of all the aircraft."

The 31st MEU is the only permanently forward-deployed MEU, maintaining a presence in the Pacific Ocean at all times as part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and is based out of Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan.

Essex is the lead ship of the only forward deployed Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for CTF 76, the Navy's forward-deployed amphibious force commander. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan.

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet will hold a disestablishment ceremony here, Sept. 30, marking the end of 65 years of the organization's service to the fleet.

The ceremony is scheduled to be held outside of 2nd Fleet's maritime headquarters at Naval Station Norfolk, at 10:00 a.m., as the commander's flag is lowered for a final time.

U.S. 2nd Fleet's focus has been on safe fleet operations to achieve its mission in the C2F area of responsibility, providing trained and certified maritime forces for global assignment and teaming with allied and partner navies to execute the nation's maritime strategy.

The disestablishment of U.S. 2nd Fleet was announced Jan. 6, and is aligned with Department of Defense efforts to reduce overhead expenditures to protect force structure and invest in modernization. As U.S. 2nd Fleet disestablishes and merges with U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), USFF will continue to provide the same level of performance and forces ready for tasking to combatant commanders.

U.S. 2nd Fleet traces its origin to the reorganization of the Navy following World War II and the creation of U.S. 8th Fleet headquartered in Norfolk, Va. Officially established March 1, 1946, the command was renamed 2nd Task Fleet in January 1947, and re-designated U.S. 2nd Fleet in February 1950.

Lincoln and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, and guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71) will use COMPTUEX to evaluate the strike group's operational readiness. To certify the strike group ready for operations at sea, training personnel will assess the integration of all CSG 9 units, including air, strike, information, surface and anti-submarine warfare assets.

"COMPTUEX will mark the first and only time during the strike group's current Fleet Response Training Plan cycle that all elements of the strike group will operate together," said Commander, Carrier Strike Group 9, Rear Adm. Mike Shoemaker.

"The key to a successful exercise will be working together as a team, as well as our disciplined execution of the very busy schedule of events over the next three weeks," Shoemaker said. "The men and women of this strike group have worked extremely well together during all of our pre-exercise training, and I look forward to building upon those important relationships during this at-sea period," Shoemaker said. "I'm confident the crews will excel in every phase of this readiness training."

The units in CSG 9 will be tested in all aspects of warfare training, including flight operations and air and surface defense of the strike group. Each part of CSG 9 will be evaluated on specific missions that they will be expected to execute on deployment.

COMPTUEX is the final phase of training for Lincoln prior to the ship's scheduled change of homeport deployment later this year. The exercises are designed to ensure the various strike group elements are fully operational and ready to work as a coordinated unit for the deployment and the transition to Virginia.

Lincoln Commanding Officer Capt. John Alexander said the exercise will help prepare the crew for deployment before the ship leaves her current homeport of Everett, Wash., for a scheduled refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) in-port maintenance period in Newport News, Va.

"This is the finest warship in the fleet, and our Sailors are true professionals in every sense. They execute their jobs with dedication and commitment every day," Alexander said. "COMPTUEX just gives us a chance to sharpen our skills before the big deployment."

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Spruance, Oct. 1, during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla.

Designated DDG 111, the new destroyer honors legendary Adm. Raymond Spruance, whose calm and decisive leadership at the Battle of Midway contributed to a pivotal American victory during World War II.

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark E. Ferguson III will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Ellen Spruance Holscher, granddaughter of the ship's namesake will serve as the sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when she gives the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

Born in Baltimore, July 3, 1886, Spruance graduated from the Naval Academy in 1906. His Navy career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. Spruance led Task Force 16, with two aircraft carriers, during the 1942 Battle of Midway, where his disposition of forces and management of aircraft was crucial to a victory that is regarded as the turning point in the Pacific war with Japan. He later directed campaigns that captured the Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, Iwo Jima and Okinawa and defeated the Japanese fleet in the 1944 Battle of Philippine Sea. After commanding the Pacific Fleet in 1945-46, Spruance served as president of the Naval War College until retiring in 1948. In 1952-55, he was ambassador to the Philippines. Spruance died at Pebble Beach, Calif., Dec. 13, 1969.

Spruance, the 61st Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Spruance will contain myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare and be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously.

The ship will be the second ship named for Spruance. The first USS Spruance (DD 963) was the lead ship of Spruance class destroyers serving from 1973 to 2005.

Cmdr. Tate Westbrook, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., will become the first commanding officer of the ship and will lead a crew of 285 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Spruance was built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12) during a ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego Sept. 28.

The 689-foot long McLean, designated T-AKE 12, is the 12th of 14 new dry cargo/ammunition ships scheduled for delivery to the Navy by the end of 2012. The first ship of the class, USNS Lewis and Clark, joined MSC's fleet in 2006 and is one of 11 dry cargo/ ammunition ships currently operating as part of the command's Combat Logistics Force, delivering vital fuel, equipment and supplies to Navy warships at sea.

When all 14 of the dry cargo/ammunition ships are delivered, 11 are expected to serve in the CLF and the remaining three will be attached to maritime prepositioning squadrons, which strategically place combat cargo at sea for rapid delivery to warfighters ashore.

"MSC plays such an important role in the support of the Navy, and the T-AKEs are the future of that role," said Capt. Robert Baus, McLean's civil service master. "It's very exciting to be a part of this process. I have an outstanding crew, and we are all looking forward to getting underway for a mission."

When fully crewed, McLean will have a crew of 124 civil service mariners and 11 Navy sailors. The ship will begin conducting CLF missions in the summer of 2012 following a series of sea trials.

"As the 12th ship of its class, William McLean is delivering on cost and ahead of schedule," said Frank McCarthey, the Auxiliary Ships, Small Boats and Craft program manager for the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "This ship will provide invaluable service to the fleet for years to come."

McLean is named in honor of William Burdette McLean, who developed the heat-seeking sidewinder air-to-air missile while serving as a physicist for the Navy.

MSC operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.

"These successful E-2D launches continue to reaffirm my confidence in the EMALS program," said Capt. James Donnelly, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program Office, PMA-251, program manager. "Each launch we do provides more data and validation of the hard work and efforts that have been put into this state-of-the-art technology."

EMALS is the launch system of choice for all future Ford-class aircraft carriers beginning with the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).The mission and function of EMALS remains the same as traditional steam catapult; however, it employs entirely different technologies.

EMALS uses stored kinetic energy and solid-state electrical power conversion. This technology permits a high degree of computer control, monitoring and automation. The system will also provide the capability for launching all current and future carrier air wing platforms - lightweight unmanned to heavy strike fighters.

"EMALS and E-2D are demonstrating great capability for the future battle group. Each system displays technology leaps replacing legacy systems of approximately the same 50-year design age. Seeing the two testing together today is a significance milestone," said Capt. Shane Gahagan, Hawkeye and Greyhound Program Office, PMA-231, program manager.

The E-2D provides broad-area coverage resulting in a wider range of capabilities and an enhanced ability to work in the littoral and over land. Beyond the battle group, the E-2D's command-and-control capability makes it a multi-mission platform through its ability to coordinate concurrent missions, which may arise during a single flight, to include airborne strike, land force support, rescue operations, drug interdiction operations support and managing a reliable communications network between widely dispersed nodes.

In addition to testing the E-2D as part of the ongoing aircraft compatibility test phase, the EMALS program has also launched an F/A-18E Super Hornet, T-45 Goshawk and C-2A Greyhound, with 63 to 65 launches planned for each aircraft type.

The EMALS test schedule is planned to reap the full benefits for future fielding. While system functional demonstration continues here through late 2011, the second phase of aircraft compatibility testing is scheduled to begin next year.

Engineers will continue reliability testing through 2013, perform installation and checkout, as well as shipboard testing according to NAVSEA's schedule, with shipboard certification in 2015.